Resume Tips for Getting the Interview that Gets the Job

Your resume is your 10-second chance to show that you have what it takes to meet the employer's needs. Use these resume tips to help you get the job interview. And, then, to get the job.

Resume Tips:

List your contact information, including your email address and cell phone number. Do not list your work phone number. I put this first on the list because so many people forget to include even a single means of contact.

Be accurate and truthful. Embellishing and exaggeration can be reasons for not hiring you. Lying on your resume may also be reason to fire you.

Edit your resume down to one or two pages. Use reverse chronological order. Put your current, most up to date information first. Work backward from there, as space permits.

List only relevant education, skills, and experience. Group years of similar experience into one listing.

Stick to simple. Use the same size and type of font throughout your resume. Ornate formatting, using a variety of fonts and font sizes, using colored inks, underlining, bolding, and using italics are distracting. They make your resume look as though you are trying to hide your lack of qualifications behind the fancy façade. Use a consistent format.

Use bullets for concise descriptions. More than two lines each is a paragraph.

List experience before education and employment history. The exception is if you lack relevant experience. Remember that experience includes your life, not just your work.

Keywords count. If posting to an online service, such as our website, using keywords the employers are looking for can help search engines locate your resume for employers.

Write your resume using a plain text word processing program. Using a resume template, and copying and pasting, will likely result in odd formatting that won't get read. When emailing your resume, paste it into the body of the email, unless the employer instructs otherwise.

Double-check your spelling and grammar. A spell check program may help, but it may also turn your "Winnebago" into a "windbag."

Standard resume writing advice says do not include photos. It's been said that photos and resumes are like oil and water -- they don't mix. However, you'll find that campground owners sometimes request photos of you and your RV. If you will be living in your RV on the business premises, asking for a photo of the RV may be justifiable. Providing a photo of yourself may open up discrimination issues.

The purpose of your resume is to help you get the job interview. These resume writing tips can help do that. Once you get the interview, use your personality to get the job.